Latest Articles

Wen, the Time Is Right

China agrees to participate in post-Kyoto negotiations China has agreed to participate in talks about a framework to fight global warming after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Enviros danced a joyful jig, as the decision puts pressure on other, non-communicative nations (we’re not naming names). China is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol as […]

But Now What?

Bush withdraws controversial EPA nominations Earlier this month, we reported that President Bush was re-dangling three controversial names for key environmental positions in his administration, suggesting that he might appoint them while Congress was on a break. While he did manage to push one such recess appointment through last week — Susan Dudley as White […]

Latter-Day Paints

EPA says racism isn’t a factor in Ford Superfund saga A strange environmental-justice saga is unfolding in New Jersey, pitting Ford Motor Co. against a community of Ramapough Indians and their allies. Decades ago, Ford dumped thousands of tons of toxic paint sludge at a former mining area. The dump was declared a Superfund site, […]

Let’s Do This Thing

Step It Up is tomorrow — find a rally in your area! The time has come, the Gristers say, to march for many things: stop climate change, bring carbon down, and maybe find a fling. Ahem. What we mean is: Step It Up 2007 has arrived! Tomorrow — that’s Saturday, April 14 — thousands of […]

When insurers get serious about climate change, EVERYBODY gets serious about climate change

United Services Automobile Association (USAA), a "most-admired" company in many different rankings, has decided not to insure multiple homes in FL for one policyholder -- the first step in what will eventually be the revolt of the insurance companies against climate denialists (and against Florida legislators who want policyholders in other states to share the costs of insuring the damages from more intense and frequent hurricane strikes).

This is great news (unless you own multiple Florida homes).

The insurance industry has long been the sleeping giant of climate policy response. A lot of very red states have a lot to lose from climate disruption, and the threat of finding your property uninsurable gives you a whole new perspective on whether we need to do something on climate before the tipping points are reached.

Because shopping shouldn’t require matrix algebra

A lot of people ask why carbon permits or taxes should be levied as far upstream as possible. Why tax or auction permits for pumping or importing oil, rather than burning it?

One obvious answer is: red tape. Regardless of where a tax is levied, you will pay. But if it is collected at the wellhead, you don't have to have a separate line on every gas receipt under the sales tax. Your local supermarket does not have to buy a major upgrade to it's software, slowing the line you are in as their system crashes, and the checkers switch to hand calculators.

Al Gore slideshow tidbit

From Al’s Journal: The trainees thus far have already given my slideshow more times collectively in the last six months — 3,000 — than I have been able to give it in 20 years.

The public doesn’t really need all that much science

While I was on vacation, science journalist Chris Mooney and social scientist Matthew Nisbet came out with a short commentary in Science. Their thesis was that scientists should pay attention to how they frame their public communication, so as to most effectively reach their target audience. To me this is obvious to the point of […]

Following U.S. consumerism through the fields of China and Brazil

In what surely counts as one of the greatest feats in the history of global trade, the United States has essentially outsourced its manufacturing base to China in little more than a decade. It all starts with shuttered factories. Photo: iStockphoto But in doing so, the U.S. has helped unleash new trends in global agriculture […]

They’re not happy until you’re happy

Why is the Oregon bottle bill, once a shining environmental breakthrough, failing?

As a wise person named Lee Barrett noted here:

It's the distributors than own the reverse vending machines. They are the ones that start the 5-cent deposit. The more disgusted you get with the process of returning the cans and bottles the more nickels they get to keep. They're not happy until you're not happy.